Top ten stories for 2011 - what a year it was

President Obama knocks back a pint of plain in Ollie Hayes' publ in Moneygall
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Barack Obama

Here are my top ten stories for 2011. It was quite a year, both good and bad, with many indelible memories.

1. Queen’s visit to Ireland:

It was an incredible occasion which ended centuries of mutual loathing and dislike. The Queen’s words of Gaelic at the Dublin Castle State Dinner were my personal highlight. It was an amazing occasion for the Irish and British people and a tribute to the effect of the peace process.

It was the election that had everything from a last second October surprise that utterly upended the expected result, to allegations of attempted murder, incest, boy pedophilia, IRA involvement. The final TV debate where Martin McGuinness finished Sean Gallagher’s campaign was an extraordinary live moment.

Blamed for the Irish recession. they went from the longest party in government in Europe to being practically wiped out. Enda Kenny’s Fine Gael party cruised to victory and Irish politics will never be the same again.

A gathering of the far flung tribe featuring 300 business leaders from all over the world discussing the way forward for Ireland. At last the Irish government seems to get the power and potential of the Diaspora